Vacuum regulator for air driven aircraft instruments



Dec'. 8, 1942. L. N. scHwlEN 2,304,605

VACUUM `RKULA..0R FOR AIR DRIVEN AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS l Filed July 20, 1940.

IVM/4.2.74..

mospheric. pressure.

Patented Dec. 8, 1942 UNIT-gio @spares :par g r :ortica 'f VACUUM 'REGULATOR FOR AIRi' DRIVEN AIRCRAFTJNSTRUMENTS '.Leo NevinSchwiemLos AngelesjCalif. zApplicationiJuly 20, 1940,Serial Nol346'68 i Claims.

This invention relates generally-.toy vacuum reg- =ulators,-and more particularly-to vacuum regulators' for. regulation -of the -vacuumapplied to -air drivenaircraft instruments suchas; gyro instruments.

Itis common practice, particularly in the case Y,of small aircraft,A toy utilize the engine I intake manifold. asa source-'of vacuum for-air driven .aircraft instruments such as gyro instruments and the` like. i. Becauseof yfthefluctuations in lvac- ,i Vuurn` createdby such .a =source,or evenby a vac- -ruumv pump specificallydesigned for'thepurpose .(such as is.used inl-largeraircraft). there is incorporated-between .the instrument'randl thesource of the. operating principle-.Horas an 'incident of design. Howevenwwhere ythe vacuumsource-is the intake manifold of the engine-,athis condition Vinterferesseriously with -propercarburetiony at closed or nearly closed throttle.

Inlarger aircraft, in which-aspecial source of vacuum, independentoff-theengine-intake manifold, isordinarily provided, it-isagain frequently desirable to avoid intakeofzexternalair, especially inv the caser of .installation Within a lpressurized.cabin, since such-a regulatormay bleed air, from the cabin-to an-undesirable extent.

v An object vof the present ,invention-isaccordingly toprovide .a-vaouum.regu1ator which is entirely closed against entryl of` external air, and mene, therefore, VVwhich kwill noti affectinthe slightest ,degree the proper carlziuretionofthe engineand which, inthe case ofinstallation in a pressurized cabin, vWill-.notbleed-air. from-the ...cabin '..The regulatorof the presentinvention operates .,byfopeningand closing the vacuumline. A valve element is provided, which seeks Aafpositionof balance under` the opposing vforces of. a ,spring and the vacuum in-achamber Whoseconnection with the vacuum-line iscontrol-led by the-valve element. yOne sideof this chamber. is .closed-by a flexiblediaphragm veXposed-externally Yto atoliaphragm against collapsing owing to the vacuum inthe chamber, andthe diaphragm` accord- .ingly assumes-a posit.ion,underf` any given set of pressure conditions, at which t. the differential pressures externally.T and -internal-lyfofrthe da-U5 thus be understood as beingin oDenCOmmun- The spring supports .the

phragmlare balanced-.bythe spring. 'Ifhe valve element is. vso .linked With. 4the'.diaphragm that if the vacuumin the. chamberincreases, '.the'diaphragm .moves inwardly,l and Lmoves. the valve -to closeolf .the,vacuum..source, and viceL Versa. .The vacuum in-the chamber isinthis Waymaintained very accurately at the` chosen Value,z which is. adjustable :merely by adjustingthe.. spring. .The chamber is. connected tto .the instrument to bei driven, and. the latter, operating..under the differential of atmospheric pressure and the-pressure within. .the chamber, is accordinglyjdriven at. constant velocity. AtIthesame time,..the yad- .vantage ofa sealed system*is.provided..andlthere .is nopossibility. of,.]cleeding.air ntOLthesy'stem such. as `might.have. undesirable. .e'ie'cts on. car- -buretion oithe aircraft engineer in other Ways.

` .Various moredetailedobjects andacco'mplish- ,-.mentsvizillappear. in thecourse of. thefollowing :'detailed'descriptionof apresent preferred em- P bodiment .ofhthefinventiom referenceor this purpose beingfhad tothe accompanyingidrawing,

in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical medial-section taken through .the .vacuum regulator of; `the.present invention, .being a view, taken o-n'linel I-I. 'of Fig "2;

Fig.. 1;` and lFig.-6 is a diagrammatic View of .fthe Vacuum regulator incorporated ina-vacuum system'for ,propelling an air-driven aircraft instrument.

. In the drawings, the vacuum regulator is'designatedgenerallyat V, and includes a housing .l0 embodying a circular WallA 'l I' formed with a tubular, internally screw-threaded central eX- tension -l2,.and With a circumferential .side Wall I i3 formed withian external annular flange I4. lA Vcover l5 has ai flange.'ltmeetingljflange lf3 and secured .thereto .by means of; screws Il. A flexible diaphragm i8, preferably' formed of a suitable air tight impregnated fabric, is clamped betweenflanges l.v and 16and defines vone side of a vacuum chamber I9. A .bleederhole'll in cover. l5 admitsatmospheric. pressure to the spaceZl onthe. opposite-side of diaphragm I8.

The bottom'ide .of the housing ,is formed with `a squared'.y bottom portion' 22, which is formed Y with a tapped-bore, .as indicated at" 23, for. the

connection .of .a .line leading .to/the (aircraft instrument to be served. .Vacuumichainber I9 will cation via the bore at 23 with the propelling means of the aircraft instrument.

Housing Ii) is formed at the top with a boss 25 within which is formed a downwardly extending tapped bore 26, adapted for connection with the line leading from the source of vacuum. The inner end of bore 2S communicates via passageway 25a with a flat slot or port 21 opening downwardly through a wall surface 28 into chamber I9, the plane of slot 21 being parallel to diaphragm I8,as illustrated. The passageway 26a converges slightly from slot 21 toward bore 23 as seen in the aspect of Fig. 2, but diverges as seen in the plane of Fig. 1, as illustrated, so that the cross-sectional area of the passageway increases gradually from slot 21 to port 26. There is thus avoided sharp edged offsets such as would be conducive to loss of head.

A valve element 3D contained within chamber I9 controls slot or port 21. In the present emv bodiment of the invention this valve 3U is in the form of a pivoted plate or arm, its lower end portion being trunnions between center points 3l on adjustment screws 32 screw-threaded in bosses 34 integrally formed with housing walls II and I3, and its upper end 35 being movable across surface 28 in a manner to open or close port 21. Surfaces 28 and 34 are preferably finished precisely complementary to one another, and have a very close working clearance, both being defined by arcs struck from the trunnion axis of valve plate 3Q, and are preferably ground in by a lapping operation. To aid in the performance of this lapping operation, and also to aid in establishing the finally desired working clearance between the surfaces, valve plate 3D is preferably provided with means whereby its length may be readily adjusted within small limits. As here shown, parallel slots 35 are cut in opposite edges of valve plate 30, each extending nearly to the opposite edge of the valve plate, and terminating in an enlarged aperture 38, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. These slots intersect bores 39 drilled through the valve plate near the open ends of the slots, as illustrated, and these bores are tapped with taper threads 39a. for set screws 40. Set screws 40 screwed in bores 39 progressively spread the slots 3%, and in this way the length of the valve plate 30 may be adjusted- By having two such slots, one in each edge of the plate, the adjustment may be made uniform along the end of the plate. At the beginning of the lapping operation, the

screws 4Q are set up so as to give a proper frictional engagement between surfaces 2B and 35 for a lapping operation. The plate 30 is then simply oscillated back and forth and the surfaces so ground in. The surfaces being properly ground, screws 4i) are adjusted to give a very slight working clearance between surfaces 28 and 315, the proper clearance being only sufficient to avoid actual frictional contact. The clearance shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is considerably greater than would be proper in practice, and is shown exaggerated simply for clarity of illustration.

Flexible diaphragm I8 is clamped between two dished plates or washers t5, which are mounted on the screw-threaded end portion 46 of a link 4l", between an integral fiange 48 and a nut 49 screwed on threaded portion 4&5. Link d1 projects through an aperture 5i! located in the central portion of valve plate 3U, and its end is pierced for reception of a cross pin 52, opposite end portions of which are received within apertures 53 in plate 3B. Flexible diaphragm I3 is thus linked with pivoted valve plate 30, and any movement of the former occasioned by variations in the pressure differential on its opposite sides is transmitted to the latter.

Seated against the central portion of valve plate 3D, and positioned by means of an annular ange 60 formed on said plate, is one end of a coil compression spring 6I which projects into tubular extension I2, and the other end of which is seated on an annulus B2 engaged and held up to position by a split disk 63 screw-threaded within tubular extension I2. After disk 63 has been screwed in sufficiently far to put spring 6I under the desired compression, set screw 64 is inserted (see Fig. 3) which expands the disk and locks it in adjusted position. Cap 66 is then screwed into the end of tubular extension I2.

The lower end of valve plate 30 is equipped with a bracket 61 carrying counterweightsy 68, which are so positioned and of such weight as to counterweight the portion of valve plate 3D above the trunnions, and also the link 41 and diaphragm .plates 45 This permits the regulator to operate with uniform results in all positions.

Fig. 6 shows the vacuum regulator V connected by a vacuum line 1l)y with asource of vacuum, here assumed to be the intake manifold M of an aircraft engine, and connected by a line 1I with an air driven aircraft instrument I, which may be for instance a gyro instrument, oras any other air propelled instrument. The flexible diaphragm I3 will exert a force on pivoted valve plate SII depending upon the differential of atmospheric pressure in space 2l on the outer side of the diaphragm and the Vacuum within chamber I9 on the inner side of the diaphragm. The valve plate moves under this force to a position at which the force is just balanced by spring 6I, Assume that for a given atmospheric pressure and a given Vacuum condition within chamber I9, the valve assumes the position illustrated in Fig. 1. If now the pressure in chamber I9 should for any reason tend to decreasefthere will be a greater differential of pressure acting inwardly on the diaphragm, and a consequent force exerted on valve 30 tending to move it toward the right (as viewed in Fig. 1) and to compress spring 6I. Such movement of valve plate 30 closes down vacuum port 21, and accordingly brings about a compensating increase in pressure in chamber I9. And if under any set of conditions the pressure within chamber I9 should increase, the resulting decrease in differential of'pressure on diaphragm I8 allows the latter to move in an outward direction, whereby valve 30 is moved toward the left, and aperture 21 is opened wider, so as to bring about compensating decrease in pressure within chamber I9. By such a process, the sub-pressure or vacuum condition within chamber I9 for which the regulator is adjusted is maintained within very close limits. t may be stated that with the vacuum supply varying up to 30 inches of mercury, the regulator will maintain the pressure differential for which it is adjusted within plus or minus 3%. It will be understood that the chamber I9 is in communication via line 1I with the air driven instrument which is to be propelled, and since the air propelling means of such instrument is 'working under Athe differential of atmospheric pressure and the vacuum communicated to it from chamber I9, such differential will likewise be maintained within plus or minus 3% for a, vacuum supply varying up to 30 inches of mercury,

A feature of the present vacuum regulator is the low limit of air ow necessary to assure proper operation. Prior vacuum regulators of the general type in question require the air flow to be approximately at least .5 cubic foot per minute, whereas the valve action of the present instrument is capable of operation with flow rates above a minimum of about .25 cubic foot per minute.

Attention is again directed to the fact that the regulator of the present invention operates without bleeding air into the system; in fact the system is sealed tight against admission of atmospheric air from vacuum source to the airdrven instrument. The regulatoras herein disclosed also has the advantage ofsimplicity of parts and avoidance of manually adjusted restricted oriiice and needle valves, which require tedious and expensive adjustment. There is also avoided the liability of change in original setting owing to dirt collecting in restricted valves.

I have now described and illustrated one illustrative embodiment of my invention; it willbe understood, however, that this is for illustrative purposes only, and that various changes in design, structure and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention or of the appended claims.

I claim:

l.. In combination, a wall formed with a finished wall surface having a port opening therethrough, a pivoted valve plate having a swinging end movable at working clearance from said wall surface at the location of said port, transverse slots extending into said plate from its opposite edge and terminating near the edges of the plate remote from their open ends, taper threaded bores extending through the plate and intersecting said slots at points located near the open ends of the latter, and set screws screwed in said bores.

2. In a regulator, the combination of a wall surface having a port opening therethrough, a valve arm pivotally mounted in a p'sition with its swinging end presented in opposition to said surface and movable along said surface and across said port as said valve arm rocks on its pivotal mounting, said swinging end of said plate arm having a slight working clearance with said surface, and the swinging end of the rocking valve arm opening and closing the port as it moves across said port, and a counterweight on said valve arm located beyond the pivot mounting of the valve arm from its swinging end.

3. In a regulator, the combination of a wall surface having a port opening therethrough, a valve arm pivotally mounted in a position with its swinging end presented in opposition to said surface and movable along said surface and across said port as said valve arm rocks on its pivotal mounting, said swinging end of said valve arm having a slight working clearance with said surface, and the swinging end of the rocking valve arm opening and closing the port as it moves across said port, transverse slots extending into said arm from its opposite edges and terminating near the edges of the arm remote from their open ends, taper threaded bores eX- tending ythrough the arm and intersecting said slots at points located near the open ends of the latter, and set screws screwed in said bores.

4. In a regulator, the combination ofa wall surface having a port opening therethrough, a pivotally mounted valve arm having a portion spaced from the pivot axis of said mounting presented in opposition to said surface and movable along said surface and across said port to open and close said port as said valve arm rocks on its pivotal mounting, said portion of said arm having a slight working clearance with said surface, and a counterweight connected with said valve arm positioned beyond the pivotal mounting of said arm from said portion of said arm that opens and closes said port.

LEO NEVIN SCHWIEN. 

